All Articles: Need For Speed Payback

Activision’s Call of Duty: WWII has reenlisted for a second tour of duty as the best-selling game of the month. According to The NPD Group (via GamesIndustry.biz), the shooter was the best-selling game in December 2017, besting Star Wars: Battlefront II (#2) and Super Mario Odyssey (#3).

The holiday season dominated last month’s list, as several games that were tailor-made for gift-giving ranked high in the Top 20 including NBA 2K18 (#4), Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (#5), Madden NFL 18 (#6), and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (#9). But perhaps most surprisingly, the Xbox One debut of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds landed at #7 after just a few weeks on sale (PC sales weren’t included in the NPD Group’s calculations).

You can find The NPD Group’s complete list for the Top 20 best-selling games from December 2017 after the break. (more…)

Fans have been asking to send the Call of Duty franchise back to the European Theater for years, and now that Activision has finally delivered, those same fans have gleefully opened their wallets. According to The NPD Group, Call of Duty: WWII was the best-selling game in November, as well as the best-selling game in all of 2017 (so far).

Call of Duty: WWII’s launch helped push November 2017’s total game, hardware, and accessory sales to $2.7 billion, an increase of 30% over last year. Other big performers that fuled the last four weeks of sales included Star Wars: Battlefront II (#2), Assassin’s Creed Origins (#3), Super Mario Odyssey (#6), and a big debut for Need For Speed: Payback (#8).

The complete Top 20 from last month can be found after the break. (more…)

Microsoft is closing the book on another week with today’s update to the Xbox Games Store.

Xbox One owners will now be able to download Need For Speed Payback, the latest game in EA’s racing franchise; Skyforge, an MMORPG developed by Obsidian Entertainment; Street Hoop, another NeoGeo re-release from Hamster Corporation; and Wuppo, a hand-drawn platformer.

You can learn more about all of today’s additions to the Xbox Games Store after the break. (more…)

A pair of speedy PS4 games lead the way, as Electronic Arts will release Need For Speed Payback and Sega will counter with Sonic Forces. They’re joined by two from Telltale Games, Guardians of the Galaxy – Episode 5: Don’t Stop Believin’ and Minecraft: Story Mode Season 2 – Episode 4: Below the Bedrock, as well as the latest digital adaptations of Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune.

You can learn more about this week’s additions to the PlayStation Store after the break. (more…)

Elsewhere on store shelves this week, Sega will release Sonic Forces for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One, while Electronic Arts will also put the pedal to the metal in Need For Speed Payback on the PS4 and Xbox One.

Finally, Microsoft will usher their new console with Super Lucky’s Tale, a throwback platformer for players of all ages.

A complete rundown of this week’s new releases can be found after the break. (more…)

You’re forgiven if you thought Need For Speed Payback‘s “Reveal Trailer” was actually a sneak peek at a Fast and the Furious knockoff, but EA is doubling down on the similarity between the two with a new Gameplay Trailer at this year’s E3 Expo.

The Gameplay Trailer shows Payback’s crew on a mission to acquire a new car from inside an 18-wheeler. How do they do it? Well, it involves a lot of fast driving and a leap of faith between two moving vehicles…

The crew (Tyler, Jess and Mac) have learned that The House is transporting a car equipped with a new piece of technology that may be a key component in bringing them down. This calls for one thing: acquire the car, get hold of the tech, and dent The House’s plans. “The Highway Heist” is one of the set piece moments that takes place within Need For Speed Payback’s single-player campaign which follows the story of Tyler, Jess, and Mac as they set out to bring down The House.

Need For Speed Payback will be available for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on November 10.

The 2017 E3 Expo will unofficially begin this weekend, when Electronic Arts opens the doors to “EA Play 2017,” their E3 Press Conference. EA Play 2017 will feature eight new titles, and it can be viewed online at EA.com or Twitch beginning on Saturday, June 10, at 3:00 PM (Eastern Time).

So what will EA talk about during their 90 minutes in the spotlight? In addition to a closer look at six previously-announced blockbusters, the publisher plans to unveil “more surprises,” including at least two never-before-seen projects. The six games currently confirmed for EA Play 2017 are:

EA Play 2017 Lineup

Star Wars: Battlefront II – Featuring all Star Wars eras, a single player campaign and epic scale multiplayer battles, Star Wars: Battlefront II presents the most robust Star Wars game to date. The game is developed in partnership with three powerhouse studios: DICE, Motive Studios and Criterion Games, each with a rich background of creating award-winning games.

FIFA 18 – Powered by Frostbite, FIFA 18 blurs the line between the virtual and real worlds, bringing to life the heroes, teams, and atmospheres of the world’s game.

NBA Live 18 – Delivering gameplay innovations and a brand-new way to play with “The One,” NBA Live returns with an experience completely centered around a player’s individual journey.

Need For Speed Payback – This explosive adventure is filled with intense heist missions, high stakes car battles, epic cop pursuits and jaw dropping set pieces. It’s blockbuster gameplay never before seen from the series, fueled by a gripping story of betrayal and revenge. With Need for Speed Payback, it’s about building the perfect ride, getting behind the wheel and playing out an action driving fantasy.

Battlefield 1 – It’s a Summer of Battlefield including the entry of the Russian Army and the biggest front of WW1 in Battlefield 1: In the Name of the Tsar. Partake in the skirmishes of the Albion assault in a freezing archipelago and fight in the snow-covered ravines of the treacherous Lupkow Pass.

EA Play 2017 will be followed by a second livestream that includes further details about the all-new “Nivelle Nights” map in Battlefield 1 Need For Speed Payback, Madden NFL 18, FIFA 18, and Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes.

If you’re going to be in Los Angeles for this weekend, you can attend the EA Play FanFest at the Hollywood Palladium to play any (or all) of games. More than 150 demo stations will be available, and tickets are free (but limited). You can learn more about how to attend the EA Play FanFest at the event’s official website.

No one said the word “Family,” but I felt a very distinct Fast and the Furious vibe during the first trailer for EA’s Need For Speed Payback. The racing game’s debut trailer has been embedded above, but we’ll learn more about it at this year’s E3 Expo.

Players will be in pursuit of the “perfect ride” in Need For Speed Payback, and their search will take them through “intense heist missions, high stakes car battles, epic cop pursuits, and jaw dropping set pieces” as they customize and race a whole fleet of vehicles:

Set in the underworld of Fortune Valley, players will drive as three distinct characters reunited by a quest for vengeance against The House, a nefarious cartel that rules the city’s casinos, criminals, and cops. They will take on a variety of challenges and events as Tyler, the Racer; Mac, the Showman; and Jess, the Wheelman to earn the respect of the underground. Featuring the deepest customization from the series, players can truly craft a personalized and unique ride, or spend hours finding and tuning an abandoned derelict into a supercar. They can then push their cars to the limit and raise the stakes by betting on their own performance, where they can either multiply their winnings or risk losing it all.

Need For Speed Payback is in development for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One at Ghost Games, and it’ll be released on November 10. But fans who opt for the Deluxe Edition (which also includes the Platinum Car Pack, exclusive customization items, in-game discounts, Rep bonuses, and more) will be able to play it three days early.